Going back to the office has drastically changed and that makes the workplace policies more complicated. While employers are implementing new safety measures, there is a lot of fear and concern about the reopening of the workplaces. This is a stressful situation not only for your business but for your employees too. The best solution is to reopen with COVID-19 safety supplies in handy that emphasizes on a safe return to the workplace. There are several professional organizations that have issued social distancing guidelines for office spaces. As suggested by the WHO, the best way to protect your employees from COVID-19 exposure is through social distancing, wearing face masks, and office sanitization.

Making these essential efforts is paramount to not only provide your employee with a safe work environment but also to keep your business free from the coronavirus. To make your process simpler in adhering to all the rules about workplace safety, here are 10 quick tips to help you get your employees back in-house safely.

1.Organize a Pre-screening Policy

The best way to eliminate the risk of coronavirus spread in the workplace is to encourage pre-screening in your office. Before entering the workplace, the employees need to get screened and those having body aches, fever above 100 degrees or any other symptoms of the virus should stay at home. If their symptoms persist, it is advisable to get them tested and provide a work-from-home schedule, if possible. This will enable in maintaining a healthy atmosphere for your employees and boost their productivity as well.

2. Assess your floor plan

Evaluate the areas that prone to heavy traffic and congregation as there will be spots in your workspace where employees are in close proximity with each other such as the cafeteria or near the copy machine. Such zones need to accommodate social distancing guidelines that promote safe interactions. Make adjustments in your workspace keeping in mind the health and safety of your employees. You could also make use of floor decals for social distancing which will remind your employees of maintaining distance in such areas.

3. Create and share social distancing policies. 

Introduce new policies in the organization that will help people avoid contact and make sure all the employees adhere to it. For example, you could include instructions to use shared facilities such as the washroom or pantry and limit the count of people in a room. To encourage your employees, you could set up signage for instructions.

4. Evaluate workplace sanitization standards. 

Find out about the current janitorial schedule in your workplace and increase it or add new hygiene services. You can arrange hand sanitizer stations at all high touch surfaces to make sure the virus does not transmit. Also, you communicate with your employees over maintaining hygiene on their end as well. Make sure you take into account everything right from surface disinfecting to providing COVID-19 safety supplies and make your employees aware of all the steps you’ve taken to sanitize the workplace.

5. Phase-in Employees

To keep the COVID-19 virus at bay, you need to strictly avoid overcrowding at the workplace. There is no rush to call your entire manpower back to work all at once. You need to stagger the return either by department or employee group. Set occupancy goals and track the social environment in the office and based on it call upon the next batch of employees. You could start with the employees who need to be in-house to work efficiently and based on the urgency of the requirement.

6. Contact Tracing Plan

Coronavirus has shown how tough and infectious a pandemic can be and how you need to prepare your company to face even the worst scenarios. If the situation in hand gets worst and your workplace is exposed to a confirmed case, then you need to take the necessary measures to alert the other employees who might have come in contact with the patient. For this, you need to develop a contact tracing practice that will protect your workspace and you notify employees to get tested to avoid any further transmission of the virus.

Apart from the above-mentioned tips, make sure face masks or face shields are a core standard in the back-to-work policy. Put up signage and information frames at strategic areas throughout your office to remind and encourage employees to follow hygiene practices. Get them to wash their hands or sanitize it frequently and avoid sharing things. Continue to stick to all the guidelines for as long as COVID-19 remains a concern and with all the COVID-19 safety supplies create a safer workplace environment for your employees.